2023 Q2 Sports Preview

As we enter Q2, the seasons start to change, and springtime brings a shift in the weather, longer days, and one of the best sports periods of the year.  

Your trusty Cox Media sports blogger is a big fan of golf, and coming up in Q2, I’m always excited as the first major golf events of the year begin to tee off with the Masters taking place from April 6-9, the PGA Championship airing from May 18-21, and Q2’s final major, the U.S. Open which takes place from June 15-18.  

Interspersed throughout those major events, the affluent golf audience can be found watching a variety of golf events that kick off each Thursday on the Golf Channel. Viewership of the PGA Tour has been growing due in part to its ravenous fan base. Examples include some monstrous YoY single day lifts in viewership during premier events such as the Arnold Palmer Invitational (Thursday YoY lift of 47%) and the Players Championship (Friday YoY lift of 53%). 

Also beginning in April are the Stanley Cup Playoffs and NBA Playoffs! These two leagues have two of the longest playoff seasons in all of sports spanning nearly two months.  

The NBA Playoffs begin with the Play-In tournament on April 11 and conclude on June 18 with the NBA Finals. The high-flying NBA Playoff action is expected to be wildly competitive with a stacked Western Conference and powerful Eastern Conference. Last year’s playoffs reach its highest viewership level in nearly a decade highlighted by strong viewership in the first two rounds across TNT and ESPN. 

The Stanley Cup Playoffs also experienced historic viewership numbers in 2022 with the first round driving the highest ratings for the sport across ESPN, TNT, and TBS since the advent of cable television. The NHL has seen great growth since their move to ESPN and Turner’s networks, and we’re excited to see that trend continue! 

Finally, Q2 wraps up with one of the fastest growing college sporting events with the College World Series. The CWS airs across ESPN’s family of networks and in 2022, touted viewership numbers that grew 17% YoY . This event runs from June 15-June 26 and will once again be played at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska.  

Whether you’re looking to target these sports audiences via traditional cable television or through our targeted streaming offerings, you’ll be in good hands with Cox Media all year long. Ready to get your brand in the game? Reach out to your local Cox Media rep today!